(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the field of dishes for feeding and watering animals such as dogs and cats.
(2) Prior Art
Pet food dishes have evolved from the basic bowls to more sophisticated receptacles on a feature by feature basis without a total needs assessment of the pet and the owner. Currently, there are a variety of pet dishes typically made of plastics, metals and ceramics each of which having one or two desirable features. However, most prior art pet dishes do not address all needs and features. In addition, most prior art pet dishes that do address multiple features have numerous parts, and/or require complex assembling for feeding and disassembling or complex processing or cleaning. Examples of prior art dishes are found in Michael U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,711; Carpenter U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,905; Salinas U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,772; Scott U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,228; Riddell U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,627; Sanders U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,506; Faeroe U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,108; Ahuna U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,166; Williams U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,800; Rera U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,798; Hammett et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,912; Haake, Sr. U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,626; Partelow et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,609; and East U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,149.
There are various prior art pet dishes with a moat surrounding the food receptacle to prevent ants and other insects from getting into the food. These prior art pet dishes including Rera U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,789 and Carpenter U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,905 do not have any barrier between the food in the food receptacle and the water in the moat surrounding the food receptacle such that water may splash into the food in the food receptacle thereby contaminating the food, and the food may drop into the water contaminating the water. In addition, the food droppings in the water attracts insects.
In particular, Carpenter has a passageway between the liquid receptacle of the food dish and the moat surrounding the food receptacle such that the water in the pet dish for drinking purposes may be contaminated by the water in the moat surrounding the food receptacle. In addition, the water in the moat is constantly being contaminated by food droppings when a pet is eating. Also, since it is a known fact that ants will cross short distances of water either on food droppings floating in the water or on water itself to get to the food, water moats may be useless under certain conditions. Prior art discloses only water or complex hard-to-use insect stopping devices as the only means for preventing ants from reaching the food.
Prior art dish disclosed in Ahuna has a barrier between the water in the moat surrounding the receptacle and the food in the food receptacle to prevent the food from contaminating the moat water. The pet dish in Ahuna, however, is one piece and requires the entire assembly to be lifted and carried for each food bowl cleaning and resupply which may cause water spills from the moat or water dish. Also, the moat is difficult to service and clean because of the limited access to the moat opening and the faying surfaces of the moat element and the food element.
Prior art dish in East has a removable food dish but no food shield. This allows the food to drop in the water causing contamination, and the water in the base element to wet the top element which is the food receptacle causing water drips when resupplying the dish. Also, and more importantly, since the drinking water and the moat are one in the same, East's dish is limited to using water only as the ant barrier which as stated earlier may be useless under some conditions.
In summary, it appears that prior art has either applied simple approaches that leave major problems in pet feeder designs such as water and food contamination, or in the other extreme, prior art has applied complex approaches which are difficult to manufacture, hard to service and messy.
It is therefore desirable to have a simple to manufacture, simple to carry and use, combination food and water pet feeder that permits the use of effective, ant-resistant moat liquids, other than water, without risking pet safety and the contamination of the food or drinking water. It is also desirable to have a feeder that protects the food from contaminating the drinking water and the drinking water from contaminating the food. Further, it is desirable to have a pet dish which allows for easy removal, and no-drip refill of the food receptacle or to use disposable and recyclable food receptacle elements interchangeably with a reusable food receptacle.